In this post I want to concentrate on Liquid Foundations especially the ones I am loving right now.
Liquid Foundations
I have a love / hate relationship with liquid foundations. I have a draw full of them and I could cry every time I open that draw to see the money wasted on them. At low end / drug store counters you are left to fend for yourself as there are never any sales assistants to help you. One tends to start here because you don't want to spend a fortune on high end foundations hoping you can get a lower end one that does a good job without the hefty price tag. Lets face it, there are good drugstore foundations out there. A lot of people swear by Revlon Colourstay, Loreal Infallible, Rimmel etc. I however have a distinct yellow undertone and most drugstore / low end foundations tend to have pink undertones. So my draw is filled with pink toned foundations which I can never use and since I am fair, no one around me seems to wear the same shade for me to pass it onto. I have had luck with Max Factor though. I also have sensitive skin and some ingredients just break me out so I have learnt to read labels to check ingredients and I have also learnt to read reviews on products first. I also learnt to consult the web first and find out what my colour match I would be before purchasing a foundation. The Temptalia website is good for this regardless of the foundation being high end or low end. For example I purchased the Max Factor foundation in the wrong shade (I was helped by a sales assistant) the web said I should choose 75 Golden and guess what, it was right, it was a perfect match. If only I learnt this sooner. So after trying all that low end foundation, I ventured into Red Square and found my Holy Grail foundation which is worth the $$$.
Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Makeup SPF 10
I love this foundation. It is worth the money. It is marketed as medium buildable coverage, but it is full flawless coverage. It is for all skin types, but dry skinned girls need to wear a really good moisturiser underneath. I started using this when I broke out in hormonal acne last year and no one knew I had acne and I did not wear a drop of concealer with it. It made me look like I had perfect skin without the foundation being noticeable. My skin cleared up while I was wearing this foundation. It is non acne-genic, non comedogenic and dermatologist tested. I got my bottle during winter when my skin was lighter. So when the weather warmed up, I only used it as a concealer if I had any spots to cover. I have since been colour matched again and have back in love with this foundation. It lasts the whole day until you wash it off at night. I don't even need to set it with a powder.
There are two downsides to the foundation. One is that it does not photograph well. Titanium Dioxide is mentioned twice in the ingredients list. It gives you a white cast. So if you know that you are going to have photos taken rather use a HD foundation meant for photography. I do not take lots of photos so it does not bother me.
The second downside is that it does not come with a pump. You can pour out too much of this foundation because of there is no pump. I have been told that you can buy a Mac foundation pump and it fits really well. I took one of the pumps off from another foundation, cleaned it really well, disinfected it with rubbing alcohol and attached it to the Estee Lauder bottle - problem solved.
Also make sure you use at least two makeup wipes before cleansing to get every trace off before you go to sleep.
Bourjois Paris Healthy Mix Foundation
This was voted product of the year in 2011 - Winner makeup category survey. So I had to see what the fuss was about. It promises 70% more radiance and flawless complexion for up to 16 hours! Well it does not last 16 hours, more like 8 hours which is good enough for me. It provides 8 hours of moisture, lets skin breathe and is dermatologically tested.It has the following ingredients
Apricot > radiance
Melon > hydration
Apple > antioxidant
Ginger > energy
I must say that it does give me a healthy look when I wear it. It it medium coverage which evens out the skin tone but does not cover acne spots or marks. You need to wear a concealer if you want to cover marks. The main purpose of foundation is to even out the skin tone. So if you do find one that covers everything and still looks natural then you're in luck (Estee Lauder Double Wear stay in place foundation). I looked on the web to see what shade I should be wearing and then purchased shade 53 which was the perfect match for my skin.
My foundation secret:
On the days your skin is very dry but you still want coverage, mix the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation with the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation together. It gives a lovely finish. The Estee Lauder may look harsh if your skin is dry or you have not exfoliated. When my skin got darker in the warmer months and I still had so much Estee Lauder left, I mixed the two and the colour matched perfectly.
Another trick the sales assistants tell you at the Estee Lauder counter is to mix a drop of the Advanced Night Repair Serum into the Estee Lauder Foundation and it gives the most gorgeous finish. Try this if your skin is dry and you need more moisturisation.
The two brands mentioned above are my favourite. I have received testers for many high end brands for example:
YSL Teint Idole (I like the coverage, received a 10 day sample)
Chanel Vitalumiere (Received a 10 day sample)
Clinique (Used this brand for a while)
Elizabeth Ardin Ceramide (Good coverage, for dry skin. Received a full size bottle. I do like this)
Elizabeth Ardin Intervene (Good coverage, too pink on me. Purchased a full size bottle)
Revlon PhotoReady Foundation (Good coverage. Sparkles in natural light)
Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Foundation is by far the Best Liquid foundation I have tried in my opinion.
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